Disney

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE DIS), often simply known as Disney, is the largest media and entertainment conglomerate in the world, known for its family-friendly products. Founded on October 16, 1923, by brothers Walt Disney and Roy Disney as an animation studio, it has become one of the biggest Hollywood studios, and owner and licensor of eleven theme parks and several television networks, including ABC and ESPN. Disney's corporate headquarters and primary production facilities are located at The Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. The company has been a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average since May 6, 1991. Mickey Mouse serves as the official mascot of The Walt Disney Company.

History

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Company divisions

Initially started as a producer of short-subject motion pictures, The Walt Disney Company has since diversified into a number of entertainment mediums, including radio, television, publishing and travel. These ventures include:

Walt Disney Studio Entertainment

Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group
Disney Music Group
Walt Disney Theatrical

Disney-ABC Television Group
Radio Disney
ESPN Inc.
Disney Interactive Media Group
Disney Consumer Products
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts

Disneyland Resort
Walt Disney World Resort
Tokyo Disney Resort, licensed to The Oriental Land Company
Disneyland Resort Paris, through joint venture Euro Disney S.C.A.
Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, through joint venture Hong Kong International Theme Parks
Disney Cruise Line

On August 31, 2009, Disney announced plans to acquire the assets of comic book publisher Marvel Entertainment, in a deal estimated to cost $4 billion.title=Disney to Acquire Marvel Entertainment for $4B In announcing its plans, Disney stated that current management at Marvel would re

Timeline

See Timeline of The Walt Disney Company

Disney Management

See List of management of The Walt Disney Company

Financial Data

Revenues

Net income

Criticism, controversies and conflict

details Criticism of The Walt Disney Company
Disney's media releases and company practices have prompted action from activists, artists, and causes around the world.

Religious welfare groups, such as the Catholic League, have spoken out against the release of material which they and others found offensive, including vehement protests of the Miramax Films features Priest (1994) and Dogma (1999). Disney pushed back the release date for Dogma due to the controversy surrounding the movie, and eventually sold the distribution rights to Lions Gate Films

. The ABC show Nothing Sacred, about a Jesuit priest, a book called Growing Up Gay (published by Disney-owned Hyperion Press), the annual Gay and Lesbian Days at Disney theme parks, and similar issues spurred boycotts of Disney and its advertisers by the Catholic League, the Assemblies of God, and other conservative groups. work =Catalyst Online work =Catalyst work =Catalyst Online

The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) and the American Family Association voted to boycott Disney over opposition to Disney offering domestic partnership benefits to gay employees and over opposition to the ABC show Ellen, in which Ellen DeGeneres' character came out as a lesbian; Both boycotts were withdrawn in 2005.

The company has been accused of human rights violations regarding the working conditions in factories that produce their merchandise. It has been criticized also by animal welfare groups, for their care of and procedures for wild animals at Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park, and for using purebred dogs in movies such as 101 Dalmatians. Animal rights groups claim movies with purebreds create an artificial demand for purebreds from people who may not be prepared or temperamentally suited for the animals, many of whom end up abandoned or surrendered to shelters or rescue groups.

An environmental management plan for a zone of Great Guana Cay, in the Abaco Islands, criticized Disney for poor management of a acre tract of the island. Disney partially developed but then abandoned the place, which was to have been a cruise ship resort called Treasure Island. The report, by the University of Miami and the College of the Bahamas, blames Disney for leaving hazardous materials, electrical transformers, and fuel tanks, and also for introducing invasive alien plants and insects that threaten the natural flora and fauna of the island.

Sexual innuendo and subliminal messages

Disney has been accused of having sexual innuendo or references hidden in some of their animated movies, including The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and Disney's 1999 original releases of The Rescuers.

In 1995, a pro-life lobby group, American Life League (ALL), alleged that several Disney films, including The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, and Aladdin contained subliminal messages and sexual imagery.first=Ronald E.
first=Leef The Lion King allegation was later denied by Tom Sito, a Disney animator and a writer for the film, who said that the letters written in the dust were actually "S.F.X". It was intended to be an easter egg signature from the animation department, and that the controversy that followed was entirely unintentional.

In Aladdin, protests were raised regarding the scene when Aladdin is attacked by the tiger Rajah on the palace balcony. Aladdin quietly says "Come on... good kitty, take off and go..." and the word "kitty" is overlapped by another, unidentifiable sound, possibly Rajah's snarl. Some people reported hearing "Good teenagers, take off your clothes," which they considered a subliminal reference to promiscuity. Because of the controversy, Disney replaced the phrase with "Down, kitty" on the DVD release.

In Who Framed Roger Rabbit a scene drew attention to viewers when Jessica Rabbit revealed what was under her dress in which nothing was drawn. This scene wasn't noticed until 1994 during the film's laserdisk release. This caught the attention of the media when news such as CNN that made news articles about the scene.
In The Little Mermaid, it was alleged that a clergyman is seen with an erection during a wedding scene, specifically the scene in which a brainwashed Prince Eric is about to marry a disguised Sea Witch.last=Smith The clergyman is a short man, dressed in Bishop's clothing, and a small bulge is slightly noticeable in a few of the frames that are actually later shown to be the stubby-legged man's knees, but the image is small and is very difficult to distinguish. The combined incidents led an Arkansas woman to file suit against The Walt Disney Company in 1995, though she dropped the suit two months later.title=Little Mermaid Minister last=Becklast=Emery Jr.

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